Scranton council approves DPW union contract, authorizes contingency transfers to cover raises and winter-storm costs

Scranton City Council unanimously approved a collective bargaining agreement with Local Lodge 2305 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and authorized two budget transfers to cover union raises and winter-storm contractor costs.

The council voted to transfer up to $225,000 from the non-departmental contingency account to fund post-2025 DPW union raises that were not included in the 2025 operating budget, and to transfer $324,880 from a workers’ compensation-related account to the Department of Public Works professional services line to pay private contractors for cleanup work related to the Jan. 25, 2026 winter storm. Both measures were introduced, advanced by a rule suspension and then read and adopted on final vote; roll calls recorded unanimous "yes" votes when taken.

Why it matters: Council members framed the measures as necessary to finalize long-delayed labor talks and to ensure the city can pay for emergency winter services that were not foreseen when the 2026 budget was prepared. The approvals will change the city’s near-term operating allocations and put the DPW contract into effect.

Public comment and council context: During the public-comment period, resident Joan Hodowanec urged more transparency around the DPW contract, asking the council to publish a consolidated contract document and to disclose the total 2026 cost of the raises. She warned against treating DPW employees as "tarred and feathered" before staff could respond and asked whether raises would be paid from contingency or other budget lines. The transcript records Hodowanec saying, "Somebody needs to sit down and type out the whole contract so we have one document," and asking for a public accounting of 2026 costs.

Council response and next steps: Council members said administration staff will follow up with detailed accounting and that related caucus discussions (including union leadership) are scheduled prior to final readings. The ordinance numeric references and account lines were read into the record; the city clerk declared the ordinances legally and lawfully adopted after affirmative votes. The adopted actions authorize city officials to execute the collective bargaining agreement and to adjust the 2025/2026 operating budget lines as described.

The council did not provide a detailed line-by-line breakdown of long-term fiscal impacts during the meeting; members requested follow-up from administration about which accounts would be drawn and the status of the OPED trust and contingency balances.